How to avoid the New Year’s resolution trap

I am bracing myself. For what? The fact that my once quiet gym will be crowded with those starting their New Year’s resolutions. The good news is that by February there should be plenty of room and machines to choose from during my early morning workout. All kidding aside, resolutions do hold some value but many fail.

The value of interruption

Sometimes it’s best to avoid January 1st as the start date of our resolution. Why? Once we have made the internal commitment to improving postponing taking action sends the unconscious message that ‘this too can wait.’ Those who have successfully quit smoking have shared that they made a point to throw away half of their last pack. Friends who have committed to losing weight often begin in the middle of the week or the middle of the month. The importance of pairing our decisions with immediate action is key to keeping our internal promises to ourselves.

Looking ahead to 2019 perhaps we should reconsider our approach to New Year resolutions.